Summary: The Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association (ISAWWA) presented City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) with a Source Water Protection Award at its annual WATERCON Conference. CWLP won top honors in the Source Water Protection-Large System Category for developing and implementing exemplary source water protection programs for Lake Springfield.

In its submittal, CWLP outlined the City of Springfield's Land Use Plan which preserves and enhances the lake's reservoir. Since the time of the lake’s formation the City has taken several precautions to preserve and enhance the reservoir. The City retained ownership of all marginal lands to control access and reduce erosion. The City has worked with several federal, state and local agencies and non-governmental partners to improve the water quality of the Lake Springfield Watershed (LSW). These on-going best management practices on both agricultural and urban lands have resulted in a lake with a relatively low capacity loss rate, good water quality, and fine recreational opportunities.

The CWLP source water protection plan contains vision, goals and an action plan. The plan clearly describes the LSW characterization and implementation of various Best Management Practices within the watershed. Evaluation and revision of the plan is major to the many successes CWLP has attained within such a large watershed.

Presenter: Ted Meckes

Ted D. Meckes, P.E. has served the water industry for 27 years. He started his career fresh out of college as an Engineer for Springfield’s, City Water, Light & Power in 1986, served as the Superintendent of Water Treatment for CWLP for 12 years, and presently serves as the Water Division Manager for City Water, Light & Power.

Ted graduated with a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1986 and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois.

Ted has been a member of AWWA and ISAWWA since 1986. He is also a member of the Illinois Public Water Supply Operators Association, Central Illinois Water Plant Operators Association, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, AWWA Standards Committee B100 for Granular Filter Media, and holds a Class A Water Operators license. He has been involved in assisting other Water Treatment Plants with operational problems officially by being a Comprehensive Performance Evaluation team member as well as unofficially by networking with other plant operators throughout the State of Illinois. Ted has been involved with the Engineer in the Classroom program in Springfield, where engineers teach local 4th grade students the engineering process culminating with a Rube Goldberg type design competition.

Ted has served on numerous committees for ISAWWA including: registration committee, training committee, a guest speaker at numerous conferences on a wide variety of water treatment related subjects, and has served as AWWA District 3 Trustee for four years.

Ted received the 2010 Illinois Public Water Supply Operators Association (IPWSOA) Surface Water Operator of the Year Award.